Los Angeles mass shooting kills 3, wounding 12

Three people were killed and 12 others wounded when a mass shooting broke out in Los Angeles on Saturday, police said.

The police had one suspect in custody and were looking for a second in connection with the shooting which occurred in the West Adams district, Los Angeles.

The shooting broke out at a West Adams home that may have been turned into a makeshift restaurant. Police arrived the scene around 12:30 a.m. local time.

"It's a bloody scene with shell casings everywhere," Sgt. Frank Preciado of Los Angeles Police Department said. He said that there were around 50 people inside the place.

Preciado told local media that three men left the restaurant and returned with firearms and began shooting at another group of people, while others at the restaurant also opened fire. The scene turned into a gun battle location.

"When we got there, there were three people dead and people running everywhere," Preciado said. "We had multiple people with gunshot wounds."

The shooting continued in the driveway out of the home. "We have been told by some folks in the area that there was a makeshift restaurant there," according to Lt. Chuck Springer of the LAPD's Southwest Station.

A large number of officers from across Los Angeles were sent to the scene to search for the runaway suspects. Witnesses were looking for by the police in the neighborhood.

One female resident told local media that "it was just 'pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. It didn't stop. It just kept going. ... Really loud."

"It was a series (of gunshots) first, like really fast, then a pause, almost like someone reloaded," she said. "It was specific, as if someone was pointing at people." And she estimated the total gunshots could be around 20 shots.

"We must take action against easy access to firearms and the thoughtless, indiscriminate, murderous use of them," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "We cannot tolerate these tragedies multiplying in communities across America."

The motive for the shooting remained unclear.

The genders and ages of the victims were not disclosed at this moment.

One male suspect was taken into custody and another remained at large. Police did not disclose the suspect's identity.

(APD)